A standard wall-mount faucet assembly comprises a mounting fitting adapted to be fixed in the wall and connected to incoming hot- and cold-water lines and a faucet that is bolted to this assembly. The mounting fitting is typically installed when the plumbing is roughed in and is usually provided with a shield to protect it as the wall is completed.
To cover the hole in the wall around the mounting fitting the assembly includes a cover plate which as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,207, is a one-piece annular disk that is fitted around the faucet body. This disk can slide along the faucet and is pulled forward to install the faucet on the mounting plate, then is pushed back against the wall to cover the hole and seal around the fitting.
Such a cover plate is a substantial hindrance to the worker installing the faucet. In addition if the faucet is not perfectly perpendicular to the wall, the plate will not seal well.